The Midnight Roses
by julieanne black
Summary: One-shot after the Children of Earth mini-series.....enjoy!


The Midnight Roses

By Julieanne Black

Gwen sat down and took a breather the twins were sat watching cartoons and Rhys was due home in an hour or so. As she sat Gwen remembered the events from 5 years ago. How the children of earth were nearly lost to an alien species call the 456, how she had lost a close friend and colleague Ianto Jones, how she had had to break the news to his family and how too she saw her best friend and boss leave the earth for good what it had cost him was to great a price for him to stay.

She also thought over the events that followed the opposition parties demanded an inquiry, how the prime minister was forced to resign thought due to ill health, how Bridget Spears the personal assistant to the deceased John Frobisher had managed to get Lois Habiba released from prison without charge and the birth of her own sons whom she named after both Ianto and Jack.

The phone rang

"Damn," she thought "don't tell me Rhys is going to be late home."

She picked up the phone. "Hello" she said.

"Gwen, its me Rhiannon." It was Ianto's sister, they hadn't spoken since the boys had been christened.

"Hi Rhiannon how are you?" Gwen asked.

"I'm fine" came the reply. "Have you visited Ianto's grave recently?"

Both Rhys and herself had gone to the funeral and in a way had become friends with Rhiannon and her family.

"No we were going to go this Sunday, why?"

There was a pause at the other end. "Someone has been there and left a flower of sorts."

"How do you mean?" asked Gwen

"Its hard to explain but for the past couple of days a rose has appeared on Ianto's grave but its no ordinary rose at least not one I've seen before."

A name instantly appeared in Gwen's head but she easily dismissed it, it couldn't be him he said he would never return. "Rhys and I'll take a look on Sunday, in the mean time I'll ask around my friends. Andy might have heard something, in the meantime don't worry yourself about it I'll let you know what I find out".

She rung off just as Rhys came through the door.

"Hi luv" he said. Gwen greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and while he went to play with the twins she made tea. It was later when they were relaxing that she told him about the call from Ianto's sister and about the mystery roses that had appeared on his grave.

"Well we'll just have to have a look and see wont we" said Rhys.

Sunday came, Gwen and Rhys got the boys ready. She had asked Andy her friend in the police to make some enquiries but so far they had resulted in nothing, They arrived at the grave yard and while they were getting the boys out another car pulled up, it was Rhiannon and her family. They greeted each other then walked slowly towards Ianto's grave.

As they approach Rhiannon said "There look, another has appeared". As they looked they saw three dark red roses at the foot of the headstone.

"What's odd about them" Gwen asked.

"Look closely and you'll see."

Gwen bent down and sure enough the rose each seemed to show an image of Ianto smiling and as Gwen look she could see they were from his days in Torchwood either showing him behind the reception desk or doing odd jobs around the office cleaning up after either her or Tosh, Owen or even Jack. There's a thought I wonder if they are on Owen and Tosh's graves.

"I'll be right back" she said as she raced off to the far side of the graveyard. Sure enough there on both their respective graves were the same roses all showing images of Tosh or Owen. One more name came to Gwen, even now she still shuddered at the memory of that long dead girl and the 2 events that nearly cost her her life, Suzie Costello. Again as she approached her grave, Gwen saw the roses each depicting images of Suzie's life.

"This is weird" she said.

"You like weird remember." That was from Rhys, Gwen looked puzzled at him "Come back tonight and find out, the boys and I'll be fine."

Gwen smiled at him and gave him a peck on the cheek, that was one of the reasons she loved him and married him. He all ways seemed to know, even during his short stint in Torchwood, Rhys had understood and helped where and when he could.

Gwen parked the car close to the cemetery gates and climbed over the wall, torch in hand she made her way stealthily towards Ianto's grave. All was quiet, except for the clock which sounded in the distance. Looking at her watch she realised it was 11.45pm. She could be in for a long wait, it was cold and a little damp, she stamped her feet and hugged herself to keep warm. She turned her flashlight on in her hand at a sound close by her, only to find a cat trying to move stealthily about.

She watched it for a moment then a voice behind her said "Hello Gwen."

A grin appeared on her face as she recognised who it was, she span round saying "Jack" then she stopped when she saw him, he still had that young look about him but his face was haggard and his eyes were dark as though he hadn't slept in a long time.

"You came back." she said. He smiled briefly at her.

"I couldn't forget." he said "I tried everything, travelled everywhere, fought in battles, died more times than I care to remember but still I couldn't forget them."

Gwen didn't say anything, no words could comfort Jack. The last time she tried to make him stay he had taken off promising never to return, but now here he was.

"Your looking well and no bump I see." he said.

"I had twin boys" she replied, "their 5 now."

"My god has it been that long?"

Gwen nodded "I thought I'd never see you again," she said "how long are you back for?"

Jack looked at her "This is my last night"

"But why didn't you contact me!" she almost cried a tear in frustration.

"I couldn't, I've been trying to see Alice to make amends for what I did to Steven, she's never forgiven me for killing my only grandson."

"Time heals everything" she said.

"Does it?, I've been to one end of time to the other and still it hurts like hell"

Gwen couldn't anything more he turned and bent down at Ianto's grave he place a rose next to the others and immediately images began to appear show Ianto in different parts of his life.

"What are they" Gwen asked.

"There called midnight roses from the planet Omi-cron 6, there meant to keep the memory alive of those fallen in battle."

"Must have cost a fortune" she said

"A kings ransom" was the reply "I kind of borrowed them"

"Jack you didn't steal them!"

A slight grin played on his face.

"What are you going to do now" she asked.

"I have some unfinished business to attend to." Jack began punching buttons on a device at his wrist.

"Will I see you again" she said. He looked at her

"Maybe….." was all he said.

"I didn't tell you" she had to shout as a loud roaring noise had begun and a light was beginning to glow around Jack "The boys are called Ianto and Jack."

Jack smiled broadly as the light took him upwards to the ship above then was gone leaving Gwen alone in the dark. Her phone rang once with a text message, it was from Jack simply saying "Thanks."

Gwen walked back to her car, at least she knew who had put the roses on the graves and that he maybe returning when he was ready. Gwen felt a lightness as though a great weight had lifted from her as she headed home to Rhys and the boys, knowing that Jack was still out there.


End file.
